Friday, June 30, 2006

Proof that there is some sanity in America

“In a unanimous decision and sweeping decision, the Arkansas Supreme Court today struck down a regulation that banned lesbian and gay people from serving as foster parents. The decision ends a seven-year legal battle between the state and the American Civil Liberties Union.”link

With the decision of the Supreme Court yesterday basically telling the president that he must obey the law and this decision by the Arkansas Supreme Court, maybe there is some hope yet that our country will come to its senses and become America again.

Thursday, June 29, 2006

Inspector Specter

Senator Specter says he will hold hearings next month regarding bush’s many many signing statements. I don’t know about you but I have no faith in anything good coming from these hearings. Specter says he will call Alberto Gonzales to explain what bush is doing and why. If Specter once again refuses to put Alberto Gonzales under oath, why should we believe anything Gonzales says?

Sorry Senator Specter, but we’ve seen this picture several times before and every time you play your part until the time when the truth could emerge, then you shut down the show. Unless you change your modus operandi, what’s the point?

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Sensenbrenner throws another hissy fit

From Raw Story"Chairman of the House Judiciary Committe F. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) has broken House rules to adjourn a meeting after losing a vote to Democrats, Democratic sources tell RAW STORY.

The vote was on an item from the Republican's "American Values Agenda," which the party says will codify "the American character." Specifically, it aims to bar any court--including the United States Supreme Court--from hearing any legal challenge to the pledge of allegiance.

Sensenbrenner, according to sources, hoped to roll back the vote when the committee reconvened later in the afternoon.

Democrats on the committee, save ranking member John Conyers (D-MI) refused to attend. With many Republicans also absent, there was no quorum present to hold a vote.

Conyers attended, according to sources, only for the sake of raising a point of order, indicating that the previous adjournment had violated rules. Sensenbrenner responded by indicating that he had not heard the objection earlier."Read the rest here.

Playing with the Wind

When was the last time you flew a kite? Mr. Pop would answer that question by saying, just last week. That’s right, he was at the other end of that dolphin kite string. He would also tell you that it’s just as much fun now as it was when he was a kid.

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Lies, Deaths, and Hell

It’s not about Republicans vs. Democrats. It’s not about Conservatives vs. Liberals. It’s really about honest America. The truth is what every American should be fighting for today.

Yesterday the Democrats held a hearing about pre-war intelligence. C-span carried the hearing in it’s entirety early this morning and I became mesmerized by what I heard. Bottom line, it appeared to me, is that our worst fears and thoughts are true. This war was cooked up by the vice president and his neocon friends. I know, I know, we’ve been saying that all along, but now we know that it’s true. The evidence is ample and it stings like hell. Our country, America, is guilty of a deadly crime. I don’t know if laws were broken, although it would seem so, but I do know that an awful lot of people have lost their lives as a result of lies being told by the highest officials of our country. Yes, they knew they were lies at the time they told them.

Forget your party affiliation, forget about flag burning or gay marriage for a moment. Just sit back and think about what has happened to our country over the past five years. If you cuss or if you weep, then you know you see it all for what it has been. It’s all been lies and more lies. We have been pawns in the worst and most deadly chess game our country has ever participated in, in our lifetime.

May the gates of hell open wide and may all those who were involved in this tragic arena of lies and deception walk straight in. They deserve nothing less.

Monday, June 26, 2006

An Encounter with Officer Big Car with Lots of Flashing Lights

Mr. and Ms. Pop, after a leisurely sleep until long after sunrise, don their spiffy casual vacation clothes and head out in their all American minivan for breakfast. This is one of Ms. Pop’s favorite rituals of any vacation, she loves going out for breakfast.

Mr. Pop is driving the speed limit for just about all of Sanibel Island, 30 mph. They approach a four way stop. Three of the streets that intersect this stop are roadways and one is a public walking entrance to the beach. The three streets are visually clear but the entrance to the beach is somewhat hidden by bushes along the edge of the road. Mr. Pop eases past the stop sign in order to see around the bushes in case someone might be about to cross the street. Dum-da-dum-dum, there behind the bushes sits a POLICE CAR.

Mr. Pop, after his stop, proceeds to make his turn left. That’s when it began. The officer in the police car turns on all the flashing lights on his great big police car and pulls up behind the now cursing Mr. Pop. Mr. Pop pulls over on the shoulder of the road and brings the minivan to a stop along with a blue streak of curse words. The officer emerges from his great big police car with lots of flashing lights and cautiously approaches Mr. Pop’s side of the now nervous little minivan. Officer big car with lots of flashing lights asks Mr. Pop for his license and registration. Then he informs Mr. Pop that he rolled five feet beyond the stop sign. Officer big car with lots of flashing lights asks Mr. Pop if he has a “good reason” for committing this crime. Mr. Pop says he does not. (Mr. Pop is no dummy and knows that arguing with a policeman is not a Mensa sort of thing to do.) Mr. Pop has to unfasten his seat belt to retrieve his wallet from the his pocket. His drivers license resides in his wallet.

Then Officer big car with lots of flashing lights goes back to his car to “run a check” on Mr. Pop’s license. While he does this Mr. and Ms Pop scramble around in the glove compartment searching for the registration. Weee! They find it.

The Officer returns and again gingerly approaches Mr. Pop’s outstretched hand which holds the treasured registration. Officer big car with lots of flashing lights examines the little piece of paper and then asks Mr. Pop when was the last time he received a driving citation. (This is when Mr. Pop is tempted to ask, isn’t that the reason the officer just “ran” his drivers license? Must be a test. But again, he’s no dummy) Mr. Pop tells Officer big car with lots of flashing lights he believes it was back in his 20’s. The officer nods, so we assume Mr. Pop has passed this test. Then Officer big car with lots of flashing lights decided to pull a pop quiz on Mr. Pop. He ask, “Is there a good reason that you aren’t wearing your seat belt right now?” The officer is looking like this might make or break Mr. Pop’s pending prison term. Mr. Pop, who wears his seat belt to back the car out of the garage to wash it, explains that he took off his seat belt in order to retrieve his wallet and remove his driver’s license at the officer’s request. (Mr. Pop wants to also add that he isn’t driving at the moment and the car is stopped. He is tempted to return the question and ask the officer why he isn’t wearing his seat belt right now, but he doesn’t. Mr. Pop has always been securely lashed onto the turnip truck)

Now the very serious, Officer big car with lots of flashing lights, tells Mr. Pop that committing the crime of not stopping at the exact spot of the stop sign is the way that people get “runned over”. (Mr. Pop wants to tell the officer that people get “runned over” by walking into traffic, but thinks better of that statement.)

Officer big car with lots of flashing lights, tells Mr. Pop if he gives him a ticket it will amount to $170.00 and four points on his license. Silence ensues. Mr. Pop says nothing. Ms Pop for some reason is about to explode in laughter due to the officer’s way too GD serious attitude.

Officer big car with lots of flashing lights, finds it in his instructive authoritative heart to allow this, still wet behind the ears, criminal to proceed without penalty. Mr. Pop politely thanks the officer for his understanding. Mr. Pop is being allowed to escape and free to go on his wicked criminally inclined way. He’s no longer a threat to society.

The officer returns to his big car with lots of lights that are still flashing and the Pops buckle up and drive carefully on their way. As soon as the big car with lots of flashing lights is no longer visible in the rearview mirror, the little Pop minivan erupts in relieved laughter. They had escaped being sent to prison, Gitmo and the dark secret foreign prisons. They had learned how people get “runned over” too. Thanks to the wisdom of Officer big car with lots of flashing lights the Pops were on the road to safety and had enough ammo to laugh for days to come.

Saturday, June 24, 2006

Seashells From Sanibel for You

Pick as many as you like.We’re home, safe and sound. We had a wonderful week and I’ll tell you all about it next week. We did have a little episode with the police. Remember Officer Obie from Alice’s Restaurant? It was a bit like that.

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Week-Long Open Thread

I haven’t been on the computer the last few days as much as I wanted to be, and I have been on more than I should have.

Working with an ailing Blogger has taken up a lot of time for all of us this week. Hopefully it’s better and won’t have a relapse.

What I should have been doing more of this week is packing and getting ready to go on vacation next week. Because I didn’t get my act together, I won’t be posting tomorrow or until after we return on the 27th.

We are driving over to the west coast of Florida to Sanibel Island. It’s a wonderful place and if you’ve ever been there I’m sure you agree. This isn’t South Beach atmosphere. It’s laid back natural and beautiful. The beaches are known for the shelling which yours truly enjoys so much. The restaurants are fantastic and the shopping is so tempting. There is one antique shop that is such fun. They don’t carry fine antiques, just great retro stuff. I’ll be there, count on it.

Mr. Pop has been working full blast forever so he definitely needs a break. He has a bit of boating and fishing on his schedule so that works for me. If I do fish and catch anything, it will be returned to the water.

Due to my state of not being packed yet and having a dozen other things to do, I’m going to tell you guys bye bye for today and I’ll see you when we get back.

Feel free to use the comments site to tell me about things I’m missing, things that piss you off, anything you want, it’s all yours for a week. Just think of this as a week-long open thread.

Take care, be sweet to one another and I’ll see you next weekend with lots of new pictures.I’ll miss you.

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

America’s Worst Imagined Nightmare

These days when the bush administration’s form of patriotism has been exposed for its torturous side, there are much more important things on American minds. The primary one being two liberal gay married atheist Mexicans burning the American flag.

Meanwhile, two soldiers were killed in Iraq Monday and no one knows how many people starved to death in Darfur.

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Commit a crime, Take a class

Remember, I think it was back in November of last year, when Harriet Miers was to conduct ethics classes for the white house staff concerning handling of classified information? To the best of my recollection this happened after Scooter Libby was indicted.

After the incident in Haditha the entire military in Iraq was to receive a refresher class on how to handle themselves in the time of war. I would suppose these also could be called ethics lessons.

Yesterday Mr. Pop received a letter from the VA telling him in all likelihood his personal information was on the disc of the recently stolen computer. The letter also stated that the employees of the VA would be receiving classes. “The Department of Veterans Affairs has directed all VA employees complete the ‘VA Cyber Security Awareness Training Course’ by June 30, 2006….”

This administration seems to think the most fitting response to grave errors and crimes is to administer a class giving instructions as to how to not do it again.

Monday, June 12, 2006

Immigration, the new magic wedge issue?

Why did the immigration problem bubble to the top as of late? Who brought it up and made it a problem we must deal with right NOW? Was it something on your list of concerns? Did you even think about it before the president brought it up?

Probably not. It probably didn’t cross your mind until recently. Could it be that immigration is the real wedge issue this time around? I think it might be, and I also think this is another of Rove’s magic tricks. The president brings it up as a hot button issue. The base gets fired up because they want no sort of amnesty. The president who is not running again takes a middle of the road approach, allowing the Republican house to break with him and show they support a much stronger position, one just short of deporting anyone who is here illegally. The Democrats tend to lean much closer to the president.

Are the Republican’s base the only ones with a strong anti-immigration feeling? No, I don’t think so. I think there are plenty on the left who quietly feel the same way, whether they talk about it or not. Yet the perception is that Democrats are soft on illegal immigrants.

So bet on the strong Republican candidates coming out heavy and tough on immigration because they believe their base is with them, plus a few and perhaps enough of the Democrats and Independents too. So where does that leave Democratic candidates?

I doubt we’ll hear much about immigration after the November elections, with wedge issues you never do. They are temporary fuel for a fire that’s later left to burn out and turn to ash. They can be restarted whenever they’re needed.

Sadly this may be the deciding factor in November, and if it is, it doesn’t portend well for the Democrats.

The Weekend is Here!

Thursday, June 08, 2006

Female Loggerhead Sea Turtle

This is the female loggerhead sea turtle we watched nest last night on the beach. These pictures were taken after she had completed her nesting chore as any lights before that time might have caused her to abandon her cause.

Additional noteYou can click on the pics and see them much larger and detailed. In the second one you can see what remains of her right front flipper.

Probably had enough of al-Zarqawi by now, right? Yeah, me too

So here’s a little something different. I’m going on an adventure tonight.

First, Mr. Pop is taking me to dinner at one of my favorite waterside restaurants. Then, here’s the good part, we’re going on a turtle walk. We’re going to the beach after dark sets in and we will quietly, with lights off, walk the beach and see if we can spot a female sea turtle coming up on the beach to dig a nest in the sand and lay her eggs. Once she gets to the egg laying process we may approach her and watch. Until that time comes we shall keep our distance and remain very quiet and still.

I have seen this event many times but it’s been a while and I want to experience it again. Hopefully I’ll have a story and some pictures to share with you tomorrow.

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

Damn, nothing happened

Yesterday was supposed to be the possible shindig of all shindigs, but nothing happened. With a date like 6-6-06 it had all the markings of the possible date for the Rapture. Man, I was so looking forward to that. What a colossal disappointment. What a rip.

I had envisioned all the fundies floating up to heaven naked as a jay bird. No, I had no plans to actually look up at all the assholes, I just wanted them to get the hell out of here. Leave and go to their maker. Leave the earth forever without a whimper. Just like that, gone and yea forgotten.

Those of us remaining would have had such a party. Gay people and straight people partying hardy. Environmentalist gone wild. Intelligent people would be free of the restraints of ignorance and idiots. Whooopee, we would have had fun!

But it wasn’t to be, I know because Ann Coulter is still walking the earth. She states that she’s a Christian so of course she would have been in the heavenly upward rising. She in all her nakedness floating away from us. Okay, I gotta admit I might have taken a peek at her to find out once and for all her true anatomical sexual structure.

So we remain waiting for the Rapture. The one that we were promised would surely come. It’s enough to throw a true heathen into a state of deep depression, isn’t it? If only the good children of god could get their wish, we could get ours. Are you listening god? Why don’t you do it, rapture them? Could it be that you possibly see them the way we do and you don’t want a damned thing to do with them either? That is so unfair.

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

What’s not to love?

"Feingold received his most enthusiastic standing ovation when he called for legislation guaranteeing universal health coverage. He received another standing ovation when he said he voted against the Iraqi war because he believed it “was a bad idea in the first place.” “We should bring the troops home by the end of 2006 and stop repeating this mistake over and over and over again,” Feingold said.”

and

“The Constitution and the Bill of Rights did not end on 9/11. I wonder if President Bush understands that,” Feingold said.”link

Monday, June 05, 2006

Preparing for the Worst

Forget the war in Iraq or hurricane preparedness or whatever is happening with Iran. That’s what I did this weekend because I had more pressing matters on my mind. Mr. Pop and I used our time wisely as we made several trips to Wal-Mart to stock up and prepare for the attacks that are surely to come on our marriage. We are taking this quite seriously.

The first thing we did was to place our marriage license in a very secure safety deposit box at an undisclosed banking facility. No gay people can get their hands on it now, as they are wont to do. No way can they grab the legality of our marriage. Ha!

We stocked up on frilly dresses for me, because we all know that lesbians don’t wear anything feminine. So, hopefully they will leave me alone and not take me hostage or something. We also bought manly, masculine clothes for Mr. Pop for the same sort of reason.

We bought tacky yard ornaments for outside the front of our home, as everyone knows that all gays have excellent taste in design. We know who we’re dealing with here.

We also purchased a very large American flag to hang in the front yard, as everybody knows gay people hate everything about America. They chose to be gay and then they chose to hate America. They may also be the ones who threaten to burn all American flags. That’s another problem we have to deal with.

So while the rest of you were messing around with worrying about this or that, I was paying attention to the imminent threat that lurks just around the corner. I was doing what every non-gay American should have been doing. I was preparing to defend my marriage from gay married people. The attacks could begin any minute.

Okay, I’m not sure how the attacks will begin or why or when, but I’m told it will happen unless the House and the Senate spend extraordinarily vast amounts of time talking about it. Thankfully they don’t have anything else to work on right now. Nothing more important than stopping the war on marriage.

It is said this war could produce more casualties than the War on Christmas and the War on Easter combined. And we all remember what happened there.

Yeah sure, on the way to Wal-Mart we had to drive around a group of disabled veterans, some homeless families and a couple of starving children, but we didn’t care because Mr. and Mrs. Pop have their priorities, and they’re straight.

Saturday, June 03, 2006

Where Flowers Bloom

After an emotional week that began with the tears of Memorial Day and concluded with the frustration of Haditha, maybe it’s appropriate to think about these words.“Where flowers bloomSo does hope”-Lady Bird Johnson-

Friday, June 02, 2006

Bush’s own Version of the Schiavo Case

Even though it’s for all means and purposes already dead, bush is about to drag it out for public display. Monday he will try one more time to breathe life into an amendment to ban gay marriage. Frist said on TV a couple of Sundays ago that marriage was under attack. So I guess they are firing back with the base-bait of this amendment. Seems to me the attack is being waged by the administration on gay people who love one another and just want the same rights and privileges as non gay people.

I’m still at the point where I can’t figure out how two gay people being married will harm my own marriage. Why does anyone feel threatened by gay marriage? I don’t. My own marriage will be no stronger or weaker if my two gay friends are married.

If I have two gay people living next door to me and they get married tomorrow, how does that affect me? All I see is a positive effect. If they could marry, they would have the possibility of being as happy as any other married couple. They would also have the legal security that the rest of us have. What the hell is wrong with that?

While Frist and others are waging their war against gay marriage, the rest of us are thinking they might want to concentrate more on the war that is killing Americans and leave the people who love one another the hell alone. We see this for what it is, a desperate attempt to show their base that they are protecting their marriages by preventing others. They are saying that only straight people are allowed to be happy.

So Monday the show will begin. Bush will drag his lifeless amendment onto the stage. As others watch in disgust he will try to convince his audience that it must be kept alive at any cost. He will say that without it marriages around the country will suffer another attack. He and his lifeless amendment will look ignorant, desperate and pathetic. He really should pull the plug and let this die in peace.

Thursday, June 01, 2006

Six Months of High Anxiety

And so it begins, six months of high anxiety. Today being June first and the first day of the Atlantic hurricane season. Predictions are swirling. How many named storms and how many big storms will there be? That’s not important if you live in striking distance because the only one you worry about is the one that heads your way.

This is the time of year when we watch the weather channel as much if not more than the local news. This is the time of year when we keep a physical as well as a mental list of what we have and what we need. Most of us keep tins of tuna and soup and other non-perishables. Bottled water, dog and cat food and extra cat litter must be kept on hand at all times along with loaves of frozen bread and extra bags of ice. The list goes on and on.

Some of us have finally been able to repair all the damages inflicted on our homes in the past two years by hurricanes Frances, Jeanne and last year’s Wilma. Others haven’t been so fortunate and even to this day have giant blue tarps as their roof’s only defense. Those people have got to be panicking about now. Blue plastic tarps are no challenge to winds of over 75mph.

Now the wait begins along with the dread. Who gets hit and how hard? We all know it’s going to happen somewhere, but where? It’s about the equivalent of hearing that one house in your neighborhood will be hit by a meteor in the next six months, but no one knows which house or how large a meteor it will be.